Congratulations. You just came in second for a coveted job with a
new employer.

Rather than fume, look at the bright side: You were almost the
perfect pick. Placing second "does show that you are on the right
path," says J. Damian Birkel, a career counselor for Williams, Roberts,
Young, a human-resources consulting firm in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Joe Conroy says he actually "felt good" when he became
the runner-up for a finance chief's job at a Maryland financial-services start-up early
last month. "I represented myself well," the 57-year-old job hunter
explains. "I have more enthusiasm and confidence going into the next
interview."

The lessons you glean from this all-too-common setback could make
you the successful pick someday. Boost your chances by discovering why you
placed second, keeping in touch with the hiring manager and tweaking your
pitch.

Fred Whelan, a partner at Whelan Stone, a San Francisco search boutique, gives frank
answers to such questions because he gets to know the candidates who come in
second before he refers them to clients. He sometimes tells the unsuccessful
finalist, "There's this aspect of your personality that wouldn't fit in
well with other members of the management team."

AstraZeneca requires the 17 U.S. recruiters on its staff to
phone all runners-up with specific feedback because this "could very
easily be a temporary rejection," says Jeff Harvey, U.S. staffing director
for the global pharmaceutical manufacturer. The call "keeps them warm for
the next opening."

You can also get the straight scoop from other inside contacts.
Workplace psychologist Dory Hollander once lost her bid to be
executive-development manager of a big Florida bank. An acquaintance there, who
had sponsored her candidacy, revealed that the bank preferred a charismatic
"golden boy" because he knew more industry players. A bit irritated,
she wondered, "How could they pick this buffoon over me?"

But it's much harder to elicit the truth about your turndown from
the hiring manager. One solution: Request the explanation in a nonthreatening
manner that reiterates your interest in the enterprise. Email the hiring
official and inquire " 'how [do] you perceive me and my experience?
And if there's anything I can do to help going forward, please keep me in
mind,' " suggests Jonathan Schwartz, president and chief operating
officer of Sun Microsystems, a computer maker in Santa Clara, Calif.
"Looking for a job is an investment in your network," he notes.

You can sustain this rapport -- and perhaps nab the next vacancy
-- by seeking the hiring manager's permission to stay in touch. Send "soft
sell" reminders, such as holiday cards, a congratulatory note about the
company's newest ad campaign or an updated résumé. Mr. Conroy, the spurned
finance chief, intends to reach out to the CEO of the financial-services firm
about once a month because the executive has offered to recommend him
elsewhere.

Last June, a New York
media holding company tapped a current staffer over outsider Jake Glaser to be
a business-development director. Mr. Glaser began emailing the woman who would
have been his boss every two weeks, occasionally enclosing interesting
articles. "My goal was to keep myself [on the] top of her mind for when
the next relevant position became available," the 30-year-old New Yorker
recollects.

The woman invited Mr. Glaser to apply for a similar spot last
fall. Unfortunately, an insider edged him out again. And another media holding
concern passed him over in favor of a returning former employee.

Some businesses woo an also-ran again when their initial choice
stumbles. "Definitely go for it," though "with your eyes
open," urges Dr. Hollander, president of WiseWorkplaces, an
executive-coaching firm in Arlington,
Va. The "golden boy"
who trumped her lasted only nine months. Approached by the bank to reapply, she
decided she no longer cared to work there.

Make sure your follow-up efforts don't wear out your welcome,
though. The runner-up for a $75,000 middle manager's job at the American
Management Association phoned its top HR official the first Monday of the month
for a year to grill him about other opportunities.

"She wasted her time and my time" because there was no
suitable match, says Manny Avramidis, the New York group's senior vice president for
global human resources. The last few times, he adds, "the calls got very
short."

If you frequently come in second, consider revamping your job
search. Mr. Glaser's three experiences inspired him to re-examine what he
wanted to do. "I realized I wasn't media focused. I was promotions
focused."

He was finally hired in February as a business-development vice
president for ePrize, an interactive promotions agency based in Detroit. "It's a
perfect fit," he exults. "For me, being a runner-up thrice became a
blessing in disguise."